…Asks Gov. Ugwuanyi, LG chairman to intervene
THE Town Union President of Ubahu Community, in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu state, Sir, Engr. Ndubuisi Igwe, has dismissed claims by an online news publication that there was leadership tussle and disunity among members of the community as propagated by ‘elements of disunity’ in the community.
Igwe, who cautioned the public against fake news, pointed accusing fingers at some figures in the community as those beating the drum of leadership tussle and fanning the embers of disunity, urging members of the public to disregard such publications.
In a statement issued to the press on Tuesday, Igwe particularly mentioned Pastor Sam Iyiogwe and Mr Simeon Ejike Akaeme as those behind the publication, saying they are championing the trend of disunity in Ubahu community.
It added that Ubahu community has scheduled an election that throw up new leaders to hold on October 12, adding that those championing the cause of disunity have been rejected by the members of the community.
According to the statement, “In response to the false online publication by an online medium entitled, ‘Drums of War as Leadership tussle tears Enugu Community apart.’
“It is very important to caution the public against few elements instituting disunity among communities. Please people should disregard the so-called publication knowing that there is no leadership tussle in Ubahu rather the community has recently concluded plans to conduct Town Union Election which has been scheduled for 12th October, 2019 according to timetable released by the Electoral Committee.
“The sponsors of the publication, suspected to be championed by Pastor Sam Iyiogwe and Mr. Simeon Ejike Akaeme having held exalted positions of Chairman Nkanu East Local Government Area and Chairman Amankanu Development Centre Area respectively, did not contribute meaningfully to the development of the community rather they became agents of distraction and disunity among the community. This made the people of the community lost confidence in them.
“To correct the unguided and misinformation in the publication, it is on record that the former Town Union president, Engr. Emmanuel Ede Nnamani was elected in December, 2000 and he eventually died in 2001 and his deputy Chief Ndubuisi Agbo completed his tenure. It is also on record that in 2011, election was scheduled to be held in the community, but was stopped by Pastor Sam Iyiogwe who was already the Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government and was enjoying the moral and financial support of Sir Engr. Ndubuisi Igwe (FNSE).
“Pastor Iyiogwe in discountenance with the constitution said that Sir Engr. Igwe should be allowed to continue since he was using his money to sponsor development project in Ubahu. In order to achieve this, Pastor Iyiogwe called the meeting of Council of Elders and advised them to beg Engr. Igwe to continue which the elders did.
“It is unfortunate that the same people who did not allow election to be held, because they were enjoying the financial patronage of Engr. S. N. Igwe turned around and started calling him sit-tight president.”
Igwe noted that Mr Akaeme had been eyeing the position of the town union president and as a cousin to the incumbent president, he was denied the support of the latter and that was why he, alongside Iyiogwe, are causing trouble and disaffection in the community.
“Engr. S. N. Igwe’s offence is that he refused to support one Mr. Simeon Ejike Akaeme to succeed him as the president of the Town Union who incidentally is his cousin. Mr. Akaeme who became so irritated and boastful vowed to destroy the Town Union President and whoever is vying for the position if he is not allowed to become the Town Union President,” Igwe asserted.
He added that: “Mr. Akaeme who has always boasted that he would use his political heavyweight as the former Development Centre Chairman to destroy the peaceful atmosphere and co-existence that the community has been known for if he is not imposed on the people as the PG of the Town.
“It is in this regard that when Mr. Akaeme realized that the entire community would not support him in his bid to become the PG that he then vied for the membership of electoral committee with the intention of becoming the chairman and still he failed as the members were elected from their villages based on credibility and track record.
“When Mr. Akaeme discovered that he had lost the position of PG as well as membership and chairmanship of electoral committee, he resorted to campaign of calumny against the current PG and also creating impression of tension an uneasy calm in the community.
“The issue is that nobody in Ubahu takes the antics of Pastor Sam Iyiogwe and Mr. Simon Akaeme with a pinch of salt since fathers and mothers in Ubahu have warned their children to avoid them as they are evil.
“It is essential to note that Mr. Akaeme’s creditability in the community waved down when in 2000, he was employed as a teacher and the community expected him to come to the community and contribute to the development of the students of Ubahu but he declined. Also in 2010, when the current Town Union President gave Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000.00) to donate to People’s Democratic Party at rally at Amaechi Idodo, instead of giving the money to the party, Akaeme embezzled the money. The former Nkanu East Local Government Chairman Hon. Ejike Ani is a living witness.
“Mr. Simeon Akaeme who was Executive Assistant to His Excellency and at the same time a teacher at New Haven Boys Secondary School, Enugu, is known for his abuse of power, secretly went to Community Secondary School, Ubahu and arrogated to himself the position of Chairman School Base Management Committee, a position it was reported that he used to extort money from the principal and the students.
“He has also used the position to terminate the appointment of resource teachers employed by the community to help government employed teachers to teach the students. Mr. Akaeme who is known to be constituting nuisance in the community has vowed that the way he created trouble within the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Enugu State through his Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) programme in the state is the manner, he with ensure that free and fair election is not conducted in Ubahu.”
The town union president further stated that Akaeme, realizing that his bid to become the town union president of the community had met the brick wall, resorted to further create division and tension in the community by conniving with Iyiogwe to sponsor a trader in Ghana to take up the position without election or recourse to the constitution of the town union.
“Having known that the possibility of imposing himself as the PG of the community will not work, he went in connivance with Pastor Sam Iyiogwe and brought one Mr. Emeka Nnaji, a trader in Ghana to become the president of the Town Union without election. This is contrary to the constitution of the Town Union which stipulates that whoever shall emerge as Town Union President in Ubahu must be living close to the community if not living in the community.
“Mr. Emeka Nnaji has not for a day attended the meeting of the Town Union, let alone having participated on the activities of the union. He has not been paying his dues and many indigenes of Ubahu are living in Ghana but have not deemed it worthy to establish UTU Ghana Branch. Above all, the community has always insisted that men of integrity and of letter be the people to occupy the seat of Town Union PG in the community.
“To this effect, HRH Igwe Daniel Otenyi who handed over to Engr. Emmanuel Nnamani held B.Ed Political Science Education enrolled to read law at University of Nigeria Nsukka and retired as principal. Engr. Nnamani was the Town Engineer Nkanu West and a member of Nigerian Society of Engineer before his demise. Sir. Engr. Ndubuisi Igwe, fellow Nigerian Society of Engineers took over from Engr. Nnamani. Why is it that this standard already maintained in the community should be abolished because Pastor Sam Iyiogwe and Mr. Ejike Akaeme are looking for a stooge; maybe if they have their way Akaeme who has resorted to the vice president position of the Town Union becomes PG de facto while Emeka Nnaji becomes the PG de jure.
“Those who presided over the Town Union in Ubahu were elected based on their capacity, interest and contribution not based on village arrangement but if need be for zoning, the election of HRH Igwe Daniel Otenyi has been a yardstick.
“When HRH Igwe John Okpube died and the issue of rotation of the traditional stool among the villages that make up the community was introduced, the rotation started from Amaguiyiogwe being the eldest village in Ubahu irrespective of the fact that the last Igwe John Okpube came from Amaguujiogwe and the issue of rotation was properly entrenched in Ubahu constitution. That was how HRH Igwe Daniel from Amaguiyiogwe emerged as the traditional ruler of Ubahu. Now that HRH Igwe Otenyi is late, it is the turn of Omulo village being the next to Amaguiyiogwe to produce the traditional ruler. Pastor Sam Iyiogwe and Mr. Simeon Akaeme insisting that the position of PG of the Town must go to Iheokparaogba, the penultimate village is baseless and of no effect.
“Amaguijiogwe is the eldest village and if the rotation must be adopted, Ubahu is insisting that it must start from Amaguijiogwe as was done during the commencement of rotation of the traditional stool.
“Rather than sponsoring cheap blackmail on the media against illustrious sons of Ubahu, Pastor Sam Iyiogwe and Simeon Akaeme should allow the will of people of Ubahu to prevail. Members of the electoral committee have been elected based on the villages and they have brought guidelines for the election. The two persons who are going about campaigning in the media should come home and see whether their votes can make the difference,” he posited.
The town union president, finally called on the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the Nkanu East LGA chairman to prevail on the circumstance and see to it that upcoming election was properly conducted according to the laid down procedures and that the wishes of the people of Ubahu community is upheld.
“Ubahu people are appealing to the government of Nkanu East ably led by Hon. Ikechukwu Ubagu and the People’s Governor, His Excellency Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to please help Ubahu community by ensuring that whoever becomes the president of the Town Union must surely come through due process of election where every indigene of Ubahu is allowed to determine who becomes his/her leader,” he concluded.
